Monday, August 7, 2017

My Flatmate Reviews: Essie Summer Collection Review

I am a self-confessed nail polish addict. I rarely go 24 hours with bare nails (sorry nails if my Mama's right and you like to breathe..) So unsurprisingly, I was ridiculously excited when I got the notification on insta that I'd won the entire Essie 2017 summer collection. Not just because it meant 6 fabulous new colours to play with, but because the collection is inspired by decadent parisian patisseries and I'd been checking it out online even before I saw the competition.

There are 6 colours in the collection. I've tried 3 so far. First up I had a super girly mani-pedi afternoon with my aunty the day they arrived in the post and I tried

Éclair My Love, a slightly coral red candy colour. This shade looks particularly great on my toes, and is a nice pop of colour with any outfit. A week later I changed hand colour and tried the beautiful lilac which wins my award for favourite name; Baguette Me Not. I loved this colour too, but actually thought it looked better on Caroline who is slightly fairer and my aunty who is really tanned. I'm quite olive but my tan is a couple of months old and I wasn't sure at first, I thought it looked too bright, quite literally like a fondant fancy had exploded on my hands, but actually it really grew on me. What I love about this one is that I've never had a shade like it, it's very unique and after two coats the lilac is completely opaque. Next I switched to Sweet Soufflé, which a sugary summer white. I am totally obsessed with this one, so far it’s my favourite. I've always loved Essie nudes and a friend recently bought me an iridescent Essie nude called imported bubbly which reignited my love of slightly 90s shimmer shades. It’s such a classy colour which I know will be perfect to accompany any summer look and will look even better against a tan, I actually have a wedding in September and I already know this is the shade I want on my nails for it.

As for the polishes I haven't tried yet, there's a pastel blue called Blue-La-La and an apricot coloured shade called Fondant of You, both of which I think scream summer party. Neither of these could probably be colours I’d buy off the shelf but that’s the great thing about whole collections; they make you try something different. Last in the collection is a bit different to the others and is a lavender metallic foil polish, S'il Vous Play, which I am very excited about but to me it looks more like a Christmas party shade. I only tend to wear metallic and glitter polishes in the winter; I much prefer nudes and bright colours in the summertime so I might be saving it for a few months.

Okay, let's talk formula... I've always loved Essie nail varnishes. They're not cheap, but I've always found they're worth it. I find even with lighter shades which need a few coats (baguette me not needed more than one), the colour builds really nicely and the polish isn't too gloopy like some cheaper drug store brands. Although if you're on holiday in the heat, or the polishes are more than a year old, definitely store your polishes in the fridge, it makes such a difference. Warm sticky polish which goes on way too thick is not the one and takes so long to dry smudging is almost guaranteed. I was also impressed with how long it took the polish to chip. Full disclosure: I always wear a base and top coat which makes a big difference, but these polishes definitely took longer to chip than other polishes I've worn.

I really love the Essie 2017 summer collection and would totally recommend. Is anyone else already excited to see what the inspiration and colour palette will be for their Fall collection this year?

3 comments

Gorgeous colors! I only own two Essie nail polishes, this makes me want to go out and purchase all of them. S'il Vous Play looks so pretty, I've been a lot into metallic nails lately, makes me feel like a teenager again haha! x